The Firestorm had been in hyperspace for nearly twelve hours. Shortly after making the jump, Captain Fel had escorted Ren to small but nicely appointed quarters located a few decks below the bridge. Ren was never explicitly told to remain in his quarters, but other than briefly walking down the hall to orient himself and a few short hours of sleep he had spent the majority of his time in mediation.

The Grand Admiral had made several salient points about the First Order. Still, Snoke had given Ren power and purpose. The Supreme Leader had demonstrated his competence repeatedly, with Thrawn Ren had only the Admiral's word. Still, if his Grandfather had indeed placed his faith in the smooth talking alien, everything Thrawn said deserved careful consideration.

Thrawn himself arrived at Ren's quarters, once again without the pretentious retinue of subordinates and guards many other senior officers had with them at all times. Of course, Ren could see why the Grand Admiral did not need them: if his steel-like demeanor and sharp intellect were not enough to command respect, the boiling inferno of those eyes did more to instill his power and authority than a legion of storm troopers could.

"I apologize for my lack of attention, but other matters have demand my time," the Grand Admiral said smoothly. "I trust the accommodations are agreeable?"

Ren nodded. "They meet my needs. However, I am not here to witness your hospitality."

"Of course," Thrawn said, a tight smile forming on his blue lips. "We are under an hour from our rendezvous with the fleets," he said. Ren noticed the plural, fleets, implying whatever Thrawn was up to it involved more than one large battlegroup. "I thought it was time to show you what we are facing."

The Grand Admiral motioned for Ren to follow him, and the younger man did so. Several decks below they entered a science laboratory, which was surprisingly well appointed for a warship.

"As I said, information is a commodity in short supply," Thrawn noted, once again making Ren wonder if this alien could read his thoughts. "Sometimes that demands our own scientific investigation, thus we put more emphasis on having those capabilities on our vessels than the Emperor did."

Several officers and technicians were working in the room, and though they all acknowledged the Grand Admiral there was no traditional announcement of his arrival, nor was the room called to attention. "Their work is important," Thrawn said again into Ren's thoughts.

The Grand Admiral led him to a series of preservative filled tubes, each a meter and a half long and containing a hideous insectoid creature. They ranged slightly in size, but had bodies roughly ten centimeters with more than a dozen pair of short, spiked legs. Several dark eyespots peppered the otherwise pale white skin on one end of the body. The skin itself was almost translucent and seemed pulled across a minimal interior skeleton; Ren could not tell if that was the creature's natural state or a result of the preservation. Extending half a meter or more from each end of the body were dozens of hair like fibers.

"We don't really know what they call themselves," Thrawn said. "We refer to them as Scourge. They are a sentient, parasitic creature unlike anything we have encountered before. They use the nerve fibers in interact with the electro-chemical processes of the brain and nervous system, allowing them to exhibit some control over their host organism. The precise amount varies depending on the species of the host. In some cases they can impact thoughts and emotions in a manner that causes general behavioral changes; in others the control is more direct."

"This thing exists within another sentient being?" Ren asked.

"Yes. On a typical biped, the body will reside somewhere in the chest cavity, with the nerve fibers extending to various locations throughout the body."

"Can it be removed?" Ren inquired as he studied the hideous creature.

"In most hosts, no. Either the process of removal does extensive damage to the nervous system, or the Scourge kills its host with erratic electrochemical stimuli that effectively shut down vital organs." Thrawn stepped back from the preserved organism and turned his red gaze to Ren. "Scourge originate outside our galaxy. They live as colonies, infesting entire worlds and then attempting to move to others. How they came to our galaxy I do not know, but should they develop the means to travel between star systems there will be little that can be done."

"So they do not posses hyperdrive technology," Ren said.

"That is correct, for the moment. They are limited by the technology of their hosts." The Grand Admiral gestured toward a display screen, and with the push of a button brought up anatomical diagram of a human-like species. "However they entered our Galaxy, the first known infestation was on Zatan II. Fortunately, the Zatians did not posses any form of faster than light travel, so the spread of this particular group has been limited to within the Zatan system."

Ren looked at the diagram. The Zatian body was similar to a humans, but with substantially longer legs and a pronounced forehead that extended several centimeters above the eyes. "You doubt they will stay contained for long," Ren said.

"You are perceptive, Master Ren," the Admiral responded kindly. "The level of control a Scourge exerts on a Zation is substantial; once a sufficient number of individuals were infected hyperspace technology became a priority of the entire civilization. Engineering progress that often takes centuries is being accomplished in only a few years."

"Modifying the will of another is a powerful tool," Ren agreed. "The capacity to do it for an entire civilization is most impressive." He turned back to the preserved specimens. "These organisms could be useful."

"Replicating their abilities would be useful," Thrawn granted, "but there appear to be no means to work with the Scourge themselves." The Admiral allowed a slightly amused expression to wash over his space, lips curving in the slightest of smiles. "It is not like we can speak with them, after all."

"Only with their hosts," Ren said. Abruptly, Ren turned to face the Admiral. "That is why I am here. You planned this."

Thrawn nodded almost imperceptibly. "I would like to understand them better before committing to their total annihilation. However, I doubt it will change our course of action. As best we can tell, they are motivated primarily by propagation. They may be sentient, but they behave much as more common parasites."

"You cannot trust a species that has deceptions and hiding at the core of its existence," Ren observed.

"No," Thrawn agreed. "But we may still learn something useful. And more importantly, it gives us reason to open an important dialogue. I want you to understand what we face. And to understand what I see in you."

"You see me as a tool," Ren observed, his cooler tone noticeable despite the voice modulation. "Just as you claim Snoke sees me."

"But Snoke has alternatives," Thrawn said gently. "He can train others. Perhaps none as competent and qualified, but he has the ability. I am without the Force, Kylo Ren. Thus, I do not seek some tool that I can replace. I am in search of a partner that can help me defend the Galaxy."

"So your claim is that you value me more because you are more desperate," Ren replied.

"That is a somewhat crude way of putting it, yes," Thrawn confirmed. "However, I have talents of my own. Talents that complement yours, rather than overlap as the Supreme Leader's do. You are not a threat to me, nor am I threat to you. Can you say the same about your relationship with Snoke?"

Ren pondered the question. The Dark Side had a cruel history of masters slaying their students when threatened, and often justifiably so. The most common means of ascending to power amongst the Sith had been for an apprentice to slay his own master. Would Snoke follow this mold, or was he different than those who had come before him. Again the, future was too hazy to see.

A/N: Thank you as always for the faves, follows, reviews, and other feedback. Everything is greatly appreciated. I know that sentient parasites may not be the most original idea in Sci-Fi, but I don't think Star Wars has dealt with it yet and it provides a great opportunity to see what Kylo is capable of. And speaking of Kylo: if you want more Kylo, please check out my other story "The Cruel Path Home" which is very Kylo-centric.

Thanks again for taking the time to read, I hope you enjoyed! More to come soon as Thrawn mounts his campaign against the Scourge while Hux continues to try and learn what is going on!